Communication on July 15, 2005
* Message for the 10th Farmers' Sunday Issued
The Most Rev. Boniface Choi Ki-san, the president of the Committee for Justice & Peace of Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea(CBCK), issued the Message for the 10th Farmers' Sunday on July 17, 2005.
As the title of the message, "...And My Father is the Vine Grower"(John 15,1), suggested, the Most Rev. Boniface Choi Ki-san advocated the Korean farmers‘ claim, saying "We ask the members of the National Assembly and the Government to exert their sincere efforts on policy making for national security, environment and public health, departing from the hitherto agricultural policies of open-market orientation and reduction of rice culture." And he added, "We have to have more concern and support for the 'Save Our Farmers Movement', which is a campaign for both the preservation of the order of creation and the urban-rural community cooperation movement, to make it a church-wide one.
The Most Rev. Boniface Choi Ki-san estimated that "Nowadays the rural community and the agriculture face a greater crisis than before despite the efforts of the Church to save the farmers." And he prognosed that "Our rural community and the agriculture are not going to survive anymore if the market is opened to the cheap foreign rices, and further if the WTO's Ministerial Meeting decide to let the market wide open for all agricultural products following the claim of the foreign exporters."
The Most Rev. Boniface Choi Ki-san said that "The Church cannot but take the initiative to solve the problems of the farmers who are the suffering and marginalized people of God of our age." And he affirmed, "The Government and the members of the National Assembly should make policies which can set legally the so-called 'Self-sustenance Standard' for safe production and supply of foods, and which will stabilize the rural income and increase the farming population so that the small and medium size family-based rural communities could do their job without anxiety."
The Most Rev. Boniface Choi Ki-san concluded that "To establish a stable frame for urban-rural solidarity not only through the direct transaction of urban and rural communities but also with a true development of human resources exchange, is the way to save the rural community and ourselves." And assured that "The Church will keep on expand her effort to save the agriculture and the rural community."
* Sending Mission Message Through Cellular Phone Campaign Has Effects
The laity of the Imundong Parish of Seoul launched so-called "Sending Mission Message Through Cellular Phone Campaign" in early March, 2005.
At present over 80% of the laity of the Imundong Parish have cellular phone. Taking this opportunity, the Rev. Gabriel Jun Chang-mun urged the laity to send messages through cellular phone, especially to non-Catholic neighbours and the lukewarm faithful.
At first the laity were at a loss what and to whom to send. So the Rev. Gabriel Jun proposed the laity suitable examples through Sunday Bulletin, like "I wish you a blessed Sunday with the love and peace of God." or "God of love is always waiting for you in love." and many others.
Four months later, the laity are now getting used to it and send the messages to the acquainted non-Catholics and lukewarm brothers and sisters on regular base.
The Rev. Gabriel Jun is planning to sum up the effects of this campaign and set up the follow-up plan.
* Pastoral Letter on the Embryonic Stem Cell Research Issued
The Most Rev. Francis Xavier Ahn Myong-ok, the President of the Committee for the Doctrine of the faith and the Bioethics Committee of the CBCK and Bishop of Masan, issued a pastoral letter for his flock on July 5, 2005.
The Most Rev. Francis Xavier Ahn Myong-ok said in his pastoral letter, entitled "The embryo is a life. We were all embryos", that "The research of Dr. Hwang is amount to be an artificial manipulation of the human life...so it is a behavior that seriously infringes upon the dignity of a person when the embryo becomes the object of experiment or manipulation." And he stressed that "The embryonic stem cells are not the only means for the incurable patients. The adult stem cell therapy is already clinically well proved and has no ethical problems while it is a very safe method."
The Most Rev. Francis Xavier Ahn Myong-ok urged his flock that "We have to give a hope to this world and dedicate ourselves to the culture of life by proclaiming the Gospel of Life."
Actually the Catholic Church in Korea issued already an official statement on the matter of Dr. Hwang's embryonic stem cell research on June 4, 2005. But quite a few of the laity still do not understand the results of the embryonic stem cell research, and furthermore some of them even show their consent to the research of Dr. Hwang. That is why the Most Rev. Francis Xavier Ahn Myong-ok decided to issue the pastoral letter on this matter. This pastoral letter was announced publicly during the Sunday Mass in every parishes of Masan on July 10, 2005.
The Most Rev. Boniface Choi Ki-san, the president of the Committee for Justice & Peace of Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea(CBCK), issued the Message for the 10th Farmers' Sunday on July 17, 2005.
As the title of the message, "...And My Father is the Vine Grower"(John 15,1), suggested, the Most Rev. Boniface Choi Ki-san advocated the Korean farmers‘ claim, saying "We ask the members of the National Assembly and the Government to exert their sincere efforts on policy making for national security, environment and public health, departing from the hitherto agricultural policies of open-market orientation and reduction of rice culture." And he added, "We have to have more concern and support for the 'Save Our Farmers Movement', which is a campaign for both the preservation of the order of creation and the urban-rural community cooperation movement, to make it a church-wide one.
The Most Rev. Boniface Choi Ki-san estimated that "Nowadays the rural community and the agriculture face a greater crisis than before despite the efforts of the Church to save the farmers." And he prognosed that "Our rural community and the agriculture are not going to survive anymore if the market is opened to the cheap foreign rices, and further if the WTO's Ministerial Meeting decide to let the market wide open for all agricultural products following the claim of the foreign exporters."
The Most Rev. Boniface Choi Ki-san said that "The Church cannot but take the initiative to solve the problems of the farmers who are the suffering and marginalized people of God of our age." And he affirmed, "The Government and the members of the National Assembly should make policies which can set legally the so-called 'Self-sustenance Standard' for safe production and supply of foods, and which will stabilize the rural income and increase the farming population so that the small and medium size family-based rural communities could do their job without anxiety."
The Most Rev. Boniface Choi Ki-san concluded that "To establish a stable frame for urban-rural solidarity not only through the direct transaction of urban and rural communities but also with a true development of human resources exchange, is the way to save the rural community and ourselves." And assured that "The Church will keep on expand her effort to save the agriculture and the rural community."
* Sending Mission Message Through Cellular Phone Campaign Has Effects
The laity of the Imundong Parish of Seoul launched so-called "Sending Mission Message Through Cellular Phone Campaign" in early March, 2005.
At present over 80% of the laity of the Imundong Parish have cellular phone. Taking this opportunity, the Rev. Gabriel Jun Chang-mun urged the laity to send messages through cellular phone, especially to non-Catholic neighbours and the lukewarm faithful.
At first the laity were at a loss what and to whom to send. So the Rev. Gabriel Jun proposed the laity suitable examples through Sunday Bulletin, like "I wish you a blessed Sunday with the love and peace of God." or "God of love is always waiting for you in love." and many others.
Four months later, the laity are now getting used to it and send the messages to the acquainted non-Catholics and lukewarm brothers and sisters on regular base.
The Rev. Gabriel Jun is planning to sum up the effects of this campaign and set up the follow-up plan.
* Pastoral Letter on the Embryonic Stem Cell Research Issued
The Most Rev. Francis Xavier Ahn Myong-ok, the President of the Committee for the Doctrine of the faith and the Bioethics Committee of the CBCK and Bishop of Masan, issued a pastoral letter for his flock on July 5, 2005.
The Most Rev. Francis Xavier Ahn Myong-ok said in his pastoral letter, entitled "The embryo is a life. We were all embryos", that "The research of Dr. Hwang is amount to be an artificial manipulation of the human life...so it is a behavior that seriously infringes upon the dignity of a person when the embryo becomes the object of experiment or manipulation." And he stressed that "The embryonic stem cells are not the only means for the incurable patients. The adult stem cell therapy is already clinically well proved and has no ethical problems while it is a very safe method."
The Most Rev. Francis Xavier Ahn Myong-ok urged his flock that "We have to give a hope to this world and dedicate ourselves to the culture of life by proclaiming the Gospel of Life."
Actually the Catholic Church in Korea issued already an official statement on the matter of Dr. Hwang's embryonic stem cell research on June 4, 2005. But quite a few of the laity still do not understand the results of the embryonic stem cell research, and furthermore some of them even show their consent to the research of Dr. Hwang. That is why the Most Rev. Francis Xavier Ahn Myong-ok decided to issue the pastoral letter on this matter. This pastoral letter was announced publicly during the Sunday Mass in every parishes of Masan on July 10, 2005.